Illustration: Christoph NiemanNow that you've dropped up to $600 on your shiny new PlayStation 3 high-def gaming console, you're all set to play games and watch Blu-ray Disc movies in all their HD splendor, right? Not so fast: Sony left a few core accessories out of the box, and you need to procure--and pay for--them before you can experience high-def magic.
First, the PS3 comes with only a Sony proprietary audio/video multi-out composite video cable. To output in high definition to TV, you'll have to pay extra for an A/V multi-out component video cable plus upward of $30 more for an HDMI cable. (By contrast, Samsung's BD-P1000 Blu-ray player ships with both component and HDMI cables in the bundle.) Also, if you want to truly enjoy using the game console as a Blu-ray Disc player and view movies in full home-entertainment mode (not just using the game controller), you must shell out $25 for Sony's BD remote. Note: Microsoft's Xbox 360 comes with a DVD remote and component cables.
Melissa J. Perenson
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